Sgt. Drost Honored During Operation Minnesota Heroes Month

Operation Minnesota Heroes Month continued as the Wolves hosted the Magic on Wednesday night with a personalized Wolves jersey for Sgt. Andrea Drost and grants to Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans and Becker Furniture World Charities.

The Minnesota Timberwolves FastBreak Foundation along with the Roger and Nancy McCabe Foundation and POPP Communications kicked off Operation Minnesota Heroes Month this November during the season opener. The campaign serves to honor and recognize Minnesota's troops and military veterans.

Staff Sgt. Drost of South St. Paul is a member of the Minnesota National Guard and enlisted in 2004 as a combat medic. She has deployed twice supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Drost was elated to hear she would be presented with the personalized jersey by Wolves assistant coach Terry Porter.

“When they contacted me and told me I'd been nominated to do this, I was just very, very honored,” Drost said. “It was a really big deal to me; and then to hear they were going to make a jersey with my name on it, I was super excited, I just thought that was really neat and very special.”

The FastBreak Foundation also presented a $5000 grant to Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans. The funding will be used to help veterans and their families become self-reliant, thriving members of the community.

Nathaniel Saltz and Jimmy Collier, Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans Program Director and Metro Program Director, respectively, received the grant from Minnesota Timberwolves President Chris Wright.

BFW Charities received a $2500 grant to provide treatment and chronic pain relief for veterans and help them transition and return to their daily lives.

Doug Huseby, Founder of Becker Furniture and BFW Charities, and military vet Janna Licona received the grant during the game Wednesday.